Champions Cup

[PestNproud]

Is it fair to brand Sarries as beyond the pale in Europe?

Doubt they'd make the top-10 spenders amongst French clubs and Irish provinces -- so levelling up...

Can't abide them in the Prem (and that squad still smacks of cap-breach), but against the holier-than-thou Irish and mega-euros French (all of whom we also love to bring to earth on our days), I'm reluctantly with them.

Plus, they're a handy yardstick: we trounced them home and away this season, so, anyone they can beat, we can beat better (even Chiefs lost away)...

[Rifleman Harris]

But, if they hadn't have cheated then they wouldn't even be there.

[Hymenoptera]

Is it fair to brand Sarries as beyond the pale in Europe?

Doubt they'd make the top-10 spenders amongst French clubs and Irish provinces -- so levelling up...

Can't abide them in the Prem (and that squad still smacks of cap-breach), but against the holier-than-thou Irish and mega-euros French (all of whom we also love to bring to earth on our days), I'm reluctantly with them.

Plus, they're a handy yardstick: we trounced them home and away this season, so, anyone they can beat, we can beat better (even Chiefs lost away)...

Is there a team more holier than thou than Sarries, i'm not sure.. I also think you'll struggle with the Mega Euro's quote, apart from the French tightening their belts too, the UK marquee systems means a UK team can spend as much as a French team albeit with restrictions on cash spread, without even considering the back end cheating of Sarries. I'm behind anybody but them, being English counts for nothing here.

[DGP Wasp]

Sarries winning the Euro Cup would chuck the cat right in amongst the pigeons.  Although the European competitions are for the 3 top tier leagues only, I suspect the qualification rules are less than water tight on the issue of a relegated team winning the thing and arguing their right to defend their title, simply because such an unlikely scenario may not have been specifically legislated for.  I can imagine the Sarries lawyers are already picking through the qualification criteria with a fine toothed comb, looking for a way in.  If they win it, expect another long, tedious legal wrangle, with the press suddenly beating the drum for poor, hard done by Sarries; and EPRC ultimately conceding.

It's in everyone's interests to avoid that circus, so let's hope someone stops them before it comes to that.

[Hymenoptera]

Agreed, Covid is a Sarries birthday present, everyone, media included have forgotten about their shortcomings.
I'm Racing all the way next week.

[PestNproud]

I get a bit fed up with Leicester fans again and again reprising 'uncontested scrums Wasps shame', as I imagine Quins do for bloodgate, so at some point we need to let go. Sarries have been skinned and going down -- job not done?

I don't like them, don't imagine I ever will, but can't help admiring their Saturday performance against Leinster, and just don't have it in me to cheer a Racing or Toulouse against an English club (Clermont, maybe... our alter ego if Wasps were French, and not so good in Europe). For every Farrell, Itoje, George; they have a Goode, Barritt, Wigglesworth. And they truly are a team, and deep down probably still a bit more so than Chiefs.

From a bit of scouting, avg Top-14 budget down around 5% this season... to around €26m (£24m). Top-4 average over €35m. Suspect you could get a pair of full-fat Sarries for that, and maybe even three of the diet version...

[Hymenoptera]

I get a bit fed up with Leicester fans again and again reprising 'uncontested scrums Wasps shame', as I imagine Quins do for bloodgate, so at some point we need to let go. Sarries have been skinned and going down -- job not done?

I don't like them, don't imagine I ever will, but can't help admiring their Saturday performance against Leinster, and just don't have it in me to cheer a Racing or Toulouse against an English club (Clermont, maybe... our alter ego if Wasps were French, and not so good in Europe). For every Farrell, Itoje, George; they have a Goode, Barritt, Wigglesworth. And they truly are a team, and deep down probably still a bit more so than Chiefs.

From a bit of scouting, avg Top-14 budget down around 5% this season... to around €26m (£24m). Top-4 average over €35m. Suspect you could get a pair of full-fat Sarries for that, and maybe even three of the diet version...

Firstly you reference things over a decade a go, Sarries were this season, they are hardly the same..
Each to their own but I'll cheer rugby and integrity over cheating.
Not sure of your sources but French Rugby salary cap of 11.3m Euro will be gradually  reduced to just under 10m. 36m Yen perhaps, but not real money 

[Rossm]

And so it goes on......Mike Rhodes: cited after Champions Cup win over Leinster

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/54241710

[MarleyWasp]

A clip of it here: https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1308085250170511364?s=08

I can't imagine he'll be playing for a while...

[DGP Wasp]

A clip of it here: https://twitter.com/Murray_Kinsella/status/1308085250170511364?s=08

I can't imagine he'll be playing for a while...

Indefensible. The movement of his head is clearly deliberate. I cannot see how Sarries can argue otherwise. They will, obviously, but Rhodes season surely done.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

Yes, but, m'lud, he once worked as a volunteer at a puppy rescue centre, so deserves nor more than a two week ban.

[InBetweenWasp]

From a bit of scouting, avg Top-14 budget down around 5% this season... to around €26m (£24m). Top-4 average over €35m. Suspect you could get a pair of full-fat Sarries for that, and maybe even three of the diet version...

Perhaps.  But that’s operating budgets, right? - Not salary, which is about 10m euros (I think).  So about £9m depending what exchange rate you’re using.

Still a good chunk on top of what the Prem cap was for last season but probably what we largely suspect Sarries have been, or were operating at for a couple of seasons

[FishingWasp]

Yes, but, m'lud, he once worked as a volunteer at a puppy rescue centre, so deserves nor more than a two week ban.

....reduced to one week for previous good record (sorry, not getting caught before!!!)

[MarleyWasp]

Planet Rugby are reporting that the charge has been dismissed as it couldn't be proven he made contact with Henshaw's head.

https://www.planetrugby.com/saracens-mike-rhodes-has-citing-complaint-dismissed/